Wednesday 30th January 2008

Hey everyone, well... today was AMAZING!!! We woke up and drove to Amber Palace, but on the way we saw a water Palace, it had some great history. The whole Palace was made out of plaster and when the water rose it would flood the first floor. Their planning to turn it into a restaurant for the commonwealth games in 2010. Then we were back in the car until we saw some snake charmers, we hopped out to have a look, and the men were playing some music with interesting looking instruments, while making the cobras rise, but we learnt that it’s not the music that makes the cobras rise it’s the movement of the instrument because the cobras can’t actually hear the music. After we were in the car AGAIN heading to the Amber Palace. YE HAR !!!!!!! Elephants Yay. We finally got to ride on elephants. All the way up to the Palace, with our guide, Gopal we all thought it was an easy name to remember so none of us had an excuse to forget it. He was a great guide he taught us so much. We were toured all through the palace and realised all the graphite on the walls, but Gopal said the government was putting money into the building to get it all neat for the commonwealth games.~FACTS~> Around the Palace there is a wall similar to the Great Wall of China to protect it.> The King had 12 wives and his favourite lived under him.> The wives were not to be seen by any other men because the King didn’t trust them so the ladies had to stay in the Palace and if they wanted to see the courtyard they had to peep in a small window.> The eunuchs were the ones who had to guard the wives.> If enemies were attacking the Palace there was a secret tunnel to the fort up in the Mountain. Pretty amazing, huh? It was a great morning. Mum will take over from here. Maddi xox
Hi, Kaz here. Have I ever told you how much I hate computers... give me a pen and paper any day. OK, after the Amber Palace it was on to the observatory which was a great passion of one of the kings who was considered so knowledgeable that they called him one and a quarter king, a title they still use to this day. The largest sundial in the world is there along with many other astronomical and astrological instruments, most interesting. What an amazing mind. He was the same king who was such a visionary that he relocated the palace to modern Jaipur to make room for the expansion of the town. Then it was onto look at artistic block printing work on fabric being done beautiful designs. Sometimes you feel rude trying to get your point across that you actually don’t want to buy any more fabric, it can be somewhat frustrating at times.Then onto City Palace. This was the new royal residence.
INFO IN NOTE FORM;
The royal family still live there today.They house the largest silver pots in the world [350 kg each]We saw the the carriages that they carried the women in because their dresses were so elaborate that they were to heavy to walk in.Some of the carpet hangings were over 400 years old.In every square inch of this carpet there is 900 knots. They were approx 20 x 12 feet.Kids were feeling a bit wiped so it was time to go home and chill out a bit.
I headed back to the post office later with Govind. It cost me $50 to post a parcel back to Broome. Yesterday a guy offered to do it for the bargain price of $250. Glad I waited...Posting mail in India has never been more eventful. They wrap and tie; then rip up some fabric and sew a pouch to fit; then more sewing; then onto a different part of the building for paper work; Then into the hot sealing wax room; then into the weighing room; Then more paper work is attached; then $ exchanged and wallah transaction over. No dinner tonight just a long hot shower and bed. Kaz.